At any rate, in the course of our moseying, we passed a small art gallery called the San Francisco Art Exchange, and suddenly we were both flummoxed to see a set of six photos from the Abbey Road album cover shoot -- five outtakes and the familiar iconic LP -- hanging on the wall.
Intrigued, we went in, and suddenly realized the gallery was also hosting this amazing exhibition.
And yes, the Abbey Road collection is the last commercially available complete set of the original photos, and can be obtained for your personal collection, if you have a lot of disposable coin, for 800 thousand clams (cheap, as they used to say at MAD).
In any case, we wound up talking to the gallery rep, a wonderfully enthusiastic and kind young man named Matthew Ely, who was gracious enough to take BG and I on a tour of the gallery's full cache of rock and movie memorabilia. Among the unbelievable stuff available for purchase there was one of Jim Marshall's last remaining prints of the cover for the first Moby Grape album (a mere 10,00 bucks, if you want to buy me a birthday present), an actual edition of Gered Mankowitz's famous shot of Jimi Hendrix in his trademark military coat, and signed-by-the-photographers prints of famous Stones and Beatles images up the wazoo.
But this is the one that totally killed me -- the Blonde on Blonde cover photo, signed by shutterbug Jerry Schatzberg. I was dumbstruck.
To browse the gallery's collection -- and BTW, the SFAE is also the largest dealer of original artwork by the great Alberto Vargas (yes, him) -- click on their website HERE.
And if you're ever in San Francisco, stop by 458 Geary Street and tell 'em PowerPop sent you.
8 comments:
Wow - how cool is THAT???
Sounds fun. I have a copy of that Marshall Moby Grape album cover shot. But I got it decades ago when it was a lot cheaper. It's great because there is more to the picture than the cropped one on the LP. Still have the poster that came with the LP too. The lady that owned the antique shop, where the cover was shot, passed away a while back.
Marshall is not an easy person to deal with. I avoid him these days. Once he accused a photographer friend of mine of ripping off his photos and selling them. They both shot Jeff Beck at the same venue. Marshall was dead wrong and he eventually admitted it. But not before throwing a fit, making a fool of himself, and ripping up some of my friend's photos. I actually pulled a gun on the fucker he was so out of hand. This was at the Pasadena Record swap eons ago.
Sounds like the art exchange has some great stuff. I collect. But stuff is way overvalued right now. It doesn't sound like any bargains are happening at that place.
Were the Vargas pieces from the forties? I like the more nude Sixties Seventies stuff. Have a few in the upstairs playroom. I like Olivia too. She did a Blondie for Sandy on request. Plus the two of us, separately.
And, just to correct an error, the Fillmore West no longer stands. The Fillmore Auditorium still operates. They are two different locations. The Fillmore West took over the Carousel Ballroom in 1968. This was torn down years ago. Before that, most Bill Graham shows were at Fillmore Auditorium or Winterland.
Look forward to more highlights of your vacation.
VR
Wait... you took a GUN to the Pasadena Record Swap???
I think we're burying the headline here.
Jai Guru Dave:
It's okay that Vicki brought a gun to the Pasadena Record Swap, She's Antifa.
Captain Al
Vikcy-your windsong stays on my mind.
I'll definitely visit the Art Exchange the next time I'm in San Francisco, thanks.
Everyone avoids Jim Marshall these days... he died in 2010...
VR is a gun nut. She made that clear a while ago.
And, once again, she makes the post about herself.
what else is there?
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